Manufacture of pulp boards.



D. M. SUTHERLANDJR.

MANUFACTUHE 0F PULP BOARDS.

APPucATloN FILED DEc.'2o. 1913.

1,272,566. y Patented .1111y16,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

MINIMUM-..-

D. M. SUTHERLANDJR.

MANUFACTURE 0F PULP BOARDS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 20, 1913. 1 ,272,566, Patented July 16, 1918.

l 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lltpi IIII| IIIIw' IIIIIllI' I j@ d. 5L Mm ATTORNEYS DANIEL MANSON SUTHERLAN'ILv-JR., -OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 'THE A.GSOTE MILLBOARD CQ., OF EWING TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY, A 'CORPORATQON 0F NEW JERSEY.

MANUFACTURE F PULP BOARDS.

specification of I .etter's Patent. Patented July 16, 1918,

Application led December 20, 1913. Serial No.` 807,867.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL MANsoN SUTHERLAND, Jr., a subject of the/King of(y Great Britain, and a resident of Trenton, Mercer county, New Jersey, have invented certaln new and useful lmprovements 1n the Manufacture of Pulp Boards, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, isa speciiication.

My invention relates to the manufacture of compressed pulp articles such as pulp boards and has -for its objectsto produce superior articles of such kind by means of atmospheric pressure; to balance such pressure so as to eliminate lheavy/and expensive apparatus; to felt together the pulp/fibers to a maximum degree by impar-ting to them a vibratory movement during the removal of the water from the pulp; and to provide an apparatus for such manufacture which is light, inexpensive and easy of construction -and operation and which is cap-able of producing the finished article in a minimum of time. Other objects will be: specifically pointed out 'or will otherwise appear in the following description of my invention, an embodiment ofthe apparatus of which is shown in the accompanying drawings in which i Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pulp board forming apparatus-l F ig. 2 is a front elevation thereof Fig, 3 is a cross section of a portion of' the lower mold and Fig. 4 is a ragmentaryplan view of said mold. The molds ofthe apparatus 'illustrated are mounted' on a framework consisting offour-vertical posts 5 supported onV a suitable foundation and connected together at their tops by the horizontal beams". 6. YFirmly secured to the posts 5near thelower extremities thereof are the two channel irons 7, one of which extends horizontally between the two front posts 5 and the other of which of the mold,

by means of an electric motor, and said shaft is provided at one or more points withl cams 13 each of which coperateswith an eccentric 14, one end of which is pivotedfto the lug 14 on the lower mold frame 9. lt will be readily understood that when the shaft l1 is rotated, the mold frame and the mold 'will be given a vibratory movement, the Wheels 8 running to and fro upon the tracks 7. A system of piping 15 lead-ing from the bottom of the mold l0 lat a plurality of distributed points, and having a flexible portion 15 so as to allow of the' vibration of the mold, connects with a suitable vacuum pump or other vacuum producing means located externally .of the board forming apparatus.

rEhe bottom of the mold 10 is composed of longitudinal sections 10 (see Fig. 3) each having depending ribs along its sides by the aid of which the sections are tightly sei cured together by the bolts 10. 4

rlhe .upper surfaces of the sections 10 are provided withv channels between the crossshaped projections 16, the upper ends of which are in the Same'horizontal lane.. Above these projections is laid aiabrlc 16, preferably of metal, having a relativel coarse mesh and above this fabric is positioned another fabric 16 the mesh of which is relatively Afine. Where the pipes ofthe suction system 15 are joined to the mold bottom, and above the ends of the pipes, a

y cap 17 is provided to prevent the sagging ofy the superposed fabrics.

llhe deckle of the mold l0. is formed at the sides of the mold into iiow boxes 18.

which extend referably the wholej length igt the inner side of each How box an overiiow Wall 18 is provided, the upper edge of said wall being level. Within the box a downwardly extending baile plate 18 is provided', the lower end of said plate being below the upper edge of said overliow wall.

Upon the beams 6 apulp Isupply tank 19l is supported; the suspension of pulp in lwater which this tank'is adapted to hold is', y

stirred by a suitably operated stirrer 19 From this tank a pulp conduit system 20 provided with a valve 21, leads to the ulp inlet pipe 22,.'extendin along the si e of each flow box. Short ranches 22 extend from the pipes 22 into the How boxes vso as to discharge -equal amounts of the pulp liquid intofthe iow boxes behind the baffles. A iiexible connection such, as the rubber conduit 20 is provided in the system20 so that this system will not prevent or hinder the vibration of the pulp receiving mold.

Vertically slidable on the posts 5 is the frame 23 which supports below it the upper mold 24. This mold maybe in the form of a plate having a flat perforated lower surface in which are channels similar to those of the lower mold 10. A vacuum system 25 leads frpm a plurality of points O f the mold 24 to a suction producing apparatusv which may, if desired, be.l the same apparatus as that which produces suctionin thev system 15 for the lower mold. A flexible joint 25 maybe inserted in the system 25. The upper mold may' vbe moved up and down by means of any-suitable mechanism.

As shown, this consists of vertical screws 26 which are guided in bearings 26 secured to the'beams 7 and 6, the bearings being such as to prevent the longitudinal movement of the screws while allowing rotation thereof. V

The fram'e 23j is suitably supported upon yshafts 27 lwhich are provided at their ends with wheels 28, adapted to run on the tracks 29 which 1 may take the form of channel irons slidably supported by the posts 5. The

v tracks 29 rest.upon flanged nuts 30-which are slidably but non-rotatably secured with-l ii suitable bearings 31', as by a pin and slot 'connection so that'wh'en the screws 26 are rotated, the tracks 2-9 and consequently the upper mold 24 and its frame 23 are raised or lowered.l In alinement with the tracks 29 when they are raised to their uppermost position, as shown, are tracks 32, the ends of which, adjacent to the tracks. 29, are supported bythe brackets 33 secured to lposts 5. The screws 26 are rotated uniformly by any suitable `meansas, forinstance, by the motor 34 suitably geared to the drive shaft 35 and through intermediate gearing to the .several screws.. Theintermediate gearing may consist of bevel gears 36 and 36 on the shaft 35 and meshing respectively with bevel gears 37 and 37 fmounted on-thewforward shaft 38 and the rearward shaft 38 respectively. Onthe endsl of the shaftv 38 bevel gears 39 and 40 are mounted each of which meshes with oneoffthe bevel gears 41 on the ends of the forward screws 26.

-On the ends of the shaft 38 bevel gears 39 c and 40 are mounted, each of which meshes with one of the bevel gears on 'the' ends `of the. rearward screws 26.

.'In the operation `of the ,apparatus described above, pulp liquid is'caused to fiowrinto the iow boxes 18 'by opening the valve 21, the uppermold being in a position rer' mote from the lower mold. The flow boxes will fill uniformly until the. liquid therein `of the upper edge of the in each ofthe flow boxes prevents any dis-v turbance which might make the iow uneven over the wall 18. During the introduction of \the pulp into the mold, a suctionis produced in the system 15 so that, as will readily 'be understood, the water of the pulp vis removed while at the Sametime the pulp is being deposited upon the perforated upper surface ofthe mold. The water clearance spaces in the mold formed'between the X-shaped projections 16 form irregular paths for thedrainage of the water and make such drainage slow until a vacuum is formed in the pipe system 15. Eor this reason the drainage and the deposit ofpulp is very slight until the pulp liquid from the two boxes meet in the center of the mold.

As soon as theliquid covers the entire suri face of the-mold, however, the drainage is comparatively .very rapid. During the introductionof the pulp alsoq the mold is vibrated by means of the ece'entrics 14. In this way the pulp particles floating in the liquor are fvibratcd back and forth, with the result that they are deposited inu a more closelyfelted mass than if they -were deposited quietlyl and due merely to the removal of the water.

When the proper amount of pulp has been supplied to produce a sheet of the desired content of pulp mold is stopped and the upper mold 24 is lowered by operating ,the screws 26 until its lower surface comes into contact with'the partly formed pulp board in the lower mold, suction being applied meanwhile to the pipe comes into contact with the pulp,r a vacuum is vproducedtin the pipes 25 and the upper.,

the vibration of the lower system 25. As soon as the upper mold tion but are not further rotated to force the mold downwardly by mechanical pressure. The construction of the nuts/ 30 and the bearings. 3-1 'is such as `to allowfof` a slight` rotation of 'the screws after the; ntact of the upper mold with'the pulp, wit out forcingthemold mechanically against the pulp,

'Under such conditions the pulp board is 'compressed under atmospheric pressure exerted o n the molds and moreover the water of the pulp is withdrawn both fron the top and the bottom. f It will be seen that since the pressure used is that of the atmosphere and particularly since the pressureis e erted on vthe two coacting'molds in opposite irections and is therefore balanced, the frame-- work and mechanism generally of the apparatus' is without strain due to the pressure andmay be of light and :inexpensive cnstruction as compared with thewell-known l hydraulic -press apparatus which has heretothe vent valve LL2l'for a moment; the screws 26 are then rotated to move the upper moldA to Aits uppermost position, the newly formed board being retained by this mold because of the vacuum in the upper vacuum system 25. The mold when so positioned may now be run upon the tracks 32 to a point external to the apparatus Where its load may be deposited by opening the vent valve 43, thus breaking the vacuum in the system 25 and4 allowing the board to fall.

While the finished board is being disengaged from the upper mold the lower mold is being filled with pulp liquid; the upper mold is then returned in time to complete the production of theboard.

My invention is of especial adaptation to I the production of large pulp board such as those having an area for example of sixty square feet and a thickness of one inch and 1s capable of producing such large boards j with a percentage of air dry fiber as high as 35%. A massive and almost prohibitively expensive apparatus of the usual hydraulic press typ'e would be required to produce a board of such dimensions and having such content of air dry fiber.

I claim:

I. The improvement in the art of making compressed pulp articles, which consists in placing the water-containing pulpin a lower mold, creating a reduced air pressure in said mold and simultaneously agitating said mold, whereby the bulk of the water is Kremoved and the pulp fibers are closely felted together, then placing an uppermold in contact with the upper surfaceof Isaid pulp and creating a reduced air pressure/in said mold,

the vacua of both molds being maintained simultaneously, whereby't'he molds are drawn together to compress the pulp and the expressed Water of the pulp' is removed from y both sides thereof,l substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. An apparatus for making compressed pulp articles comprising a'mold for re'ceiv'- ing the water-containingipulp, said mold being provided with a suction chamber, means for vibrating said mold, a second mold also provided with a suction chamber, means for bringing the molds into juxtaposition and means for producing suction in said chambers. i

3. An apparatus for making compressed pulp articles comprising a mold for receiving the water-containing pulp, said mold being provided with water drainage passages and means for vibrating said mold to augment the felting together of the pulp particles during the drainage of the water.

4. An apparatus for making compressed pulp articles, comprising a mold providedv with a porous bottom and. drainage passages leading therefrom, a flow box extending Y along one side of the mold and having an overflow wall, the upper edge of Awhich is horizontal, and means for supplying watercontaining pulp to said flow box.

5. An apparatus for making compressed pulp articles, 'comprising a mold provided with a porous bottom and drainage passages leading -therefrom, a` flow box extending along each'side of the mold, each box having an overflow wall, the upper edge of which is horizontal, and means for supplying equal quantities of water-containing pulp simultaneously to each flow box.

6. An apparatus for making compressed pulp articles, comprising a mold provided with a porous 'bottom and drainage passages l leading therefrom, a How-box extending along one side oflthe mold and having an overiowwall, the upper edge of which is Ahorizontal and a baffle plate -within said box and extending downwardly below said horizontal edge and means for supplying watercontaining pulp to said flow bpx at'theside of said baille plate which is remote from said overflow wall.V l

7.' An apparatus for making compressed pulp articles, comprising a mold 4provided with la porous bottom and drainage passages leading therefrom, a flow box extending along each side of the mold, each flow box having an overflow wall, the upper edge of which is horizontal and a balile plate within each of said boxes and extending down- ',wardly below said horizontal edge', and

means for supplying equal quantities of water-containing pulp simultaneously to each flow box at the side of said baflie plate therein which is remote from said overflow Wall.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DANIEL MANSON. SU-THERLAND, JR. Witnesses:

JOHN A. FERGUsoN, G. V. RAsMUssEN. 

